Feed-reel.



H. B. SHERMAN.

FEED REEL. APPLICATION FILED Auml. Ism.v

1,277,762. Bawndsept. 3,1918..

H. B. SHERMAN.

FEED REEL. APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. l9l1.

1,277,762. amntedsept. 3,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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will be readily appreciatedby those skilledl HOWARD B. SHERMAN, OF BATTLE CREEK, MIGHIGAN.

FEED-REEL.

Specification-of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 3, 191s.

Application led August 8, 1917. Serial No. 185,081. 1

To aZZ 'whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, HOWARD B. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States, resid-ing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed- Reels; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form' part of this specification.

This invention isa novel feed reel or machine for supportin a coil of wire or metal strip or ribbon whi e the same is being fed to a machine, such, for instance, as a stamping press, operatin upon such stock.

The objects of t e present invention are to produce a feed reel capable of properly supporting coils of different diameters and of different widths; which will be adjustable so that the center of the coil can be located to suit th'e machine t0 which the stock is to be fed; which Will enable the coil to be readily revolved when in position; which can properly support ycoils of different internal diameters and different widths or thicknesses; and in which the coil can be readily and quickly positioned in the reel by one operator without -assistance from others.

My invention provides a reel having all these desirable features, and 'other minor novel features which enhance its utility, and

in the art.

I will explain the inventionwith reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate practical embodiments thereof; but I do not consider the invention restricted to the specific forms or constructions of parts shown in the drawings, and have set forth in the claims the essentials of the invention and novel features and combinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a feed reel embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevati-on of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4.

Referring Ato Figs. .1 to 3 the rotatable coil support preferably comprises opposite rotarta-ble and relatively adjustable members, which are shown as composed of hubs 1 provided with radiating arms 1a on which are mounted adjustable collars 1b havi inwardly Iprojecting horns 1. These co lars may be secured by set screws 1d or other suitable means. The hubs 1 of the members are sultably mountedupon the inner ends of the stub-shafts 2 so that they may be easily rotated on said shafts, but

:Ihese shafts 2 may be journaled in an suitable bearings and are preferably longitudlnally adjustable in their bearings, and may slide therein,- or they may be provided with threaded portions 2a which engage internally threaded sleeves 3a on the upper ends of standards 3; which standards' are mounted in guides 4a on the side members 4 of the frame of the machine. The standards -3 are preferably made vertically adjustable on the frame and may be secured when adjusted by set bolts 4" or other convenient means. The frame side members 4 ma be rigidly united by suitable cross pieces as lndicated in the drawings.

The standards 3 should be adjusted so that the shafts 2 and reel members 1 are in axial alinement. The shafts 2 may be independently adjusted by sliding or turning them in their. bearings 3, and may be provided with' suitable means, as hand wheels 2, by which they may be readily rotated or adjusted. When properly adjusted the shafts may be locked by set-screws 3 tapped through the sleeves 3a.

As 'the coils vary in internal diameter the horns 1 are adjustable radially of the .Spiders to suit the internal diameter 'of the coil to be supported on the reel.`

The horns 1c are preferably relatively short so that the movable spiders will only have to be moved a minimum d-istance when placing a fresh coil on the reel.

Below the reel members 1 is a coil elevator 5, which is preferably Y-sh-aped and is adapted to support a coil in a vertical position intermediate the members 1; when in normal lowered position elevator 5 would support the -coil eccentric to, or with its aXis below the axis of, the members. This elevator 5 may have ribs 5a on its opposite arms to steady the coil and prevent it rolling off the support.

The elevator 5 is vertically movable and may be guided in `any suit-able manner; as shown the shank 5b of the support passes through a guide opening 4 in a cross bar 4d of the frame; and the lower end of this preferably not' capableof longltudinal movement thereon.

. the elevator 5, in the machine shown inFi shank is adjustably pivot-ally connected by a bolt 5 to the inner end of a treadle lever 6 pivoted at 6B on the frame. By depressing the outer end of this treadle the eleyator will be raised, and thereby the coil resting thereon can be elevated until it is axially alined with the members 1.

To facilita-te the placing of a Acoll upon 1, an inclined way or plane 7 may be use the upper end of said way is provided wlth a cross bar 7a adapted to engage lugs 4e on the ends of the side members l, (see Fig. 1) and to the lower portion of this plane is pivoted a hook 7b which may be engaged with the adjacent end of thel frame, as indicated in Fig. 1, so as to prevent the lower end of the lane tilting upward when a coil is being roIled over the upper end thereof onto the elevator 5.

The horns 1 should be rst adjusted on the reel members to suit the internal diameter of the coil to be supported thereby. Then shafts 2 are adjusted to set the members the proper distance apart to receive a coil between them. Then one of these members (say the left hand member Fig. 2) is backed away to permit a coil to be entered between the members; then a coil is rolled up the inclined way 7 and onto the elevator 5 while the latter is in its lowered position, the coil then resting upon t-he elevator intermediate the members, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then-the operator by depressing treadle 6 raises the coil until it is disposed axially between the members, and while holding the coil so elevated he moves the left hand member back to position to cause the horns to meet and support the coil; then he releases the treadle and the elevator drops leaving the coil suspended on the horns and properly centered between the members.

I preferably make both reel members adjustable as the coils of wire or stock vary in width for different characters of work, and to enable any of such coils to be properly centered by elevator 5 between the members it is desirable to have both adjustable. Usually where feed reels are used a number of coils of same diameter and size are used successively, a d therefore frequent adjustment of both rel members is not necessary.

If it is desired to s\\pply the coils from the opposite end of tfe machine the inclined way 7 can be readily detached and attached` to that end of the machine. By having the elevator 5 'bifurcated or provided with opposite ribs 5a the coils can be more easily registered and centered from front to back and in line with the spiders.

After a coil is used up, the members are separated b moving say the left hand reel member a distance suliicient to permit the to position so as to support the coil upon the horns as above described.

The elevator 5 may be adjustably connected/to the treadle lever 6 in any suitable manner (being shown as provided with a plurality of holes 5d to engage the bolt 5c) so that the distance the coil has to be elevated by depressing the treadle 6 will be small; the bolt 5c may be engaged with an upper hole 5d in the shank ofthe elevator when coils of large diameter are used, and be engaged with a lower hole in the shank when coils of smaller diameter are used.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the spiders 1 are rotatably mounted on stub-shafts 2e attached to standards 4 on the side frames 4, One of these standards, as the left hand one in Fig. 5, may be made adjustable toward or from the other standard and it may be operated by means of a threaded shaft 4f', or other suitable means. The elevator 5 is operated by treadle lever 6 as above explained. Instead of the detachable inclined plane or way, shown in Fig. 1, the side frames may be extended at one end as shown at 4h in Fig. 4, and connected by rods or rollers 4g forming an inclined way up and over which the coill may be rolled onto the elevator 5.

The coils are positioned between the-reel members shown in Figs. 4 and 5 substantially as above explained, as will be readily understood.

While the reel members are shown as provided with six arms, the number of arms may be varied; and as stated I do not consider the invention restricted in its broader aspect to the specific forms or construction of parts shown in the drawings.

What I claim is:

1. In a feed reel for coils of wire, the combination of opposite supports,.rotatable coil engaging members mounted on said supports, means for adjusting the memberstoward or from each other to engage and support a coil between them, and a coil elevator below said members intermediate the supports.

2. In a feed reel for coils of wire, the-com-v bination of opposite supports, rotatable coil engaging members mounted on said supports, means for adjusting the members toward or from each other to engage and support a. coil between them, a coil elevator below said members intermediate the supports and means for directing a coil onto said elevator. I

3. Ina feedreel for coils of wire, the combination of opposite supports, rotatable coil engaging members mounted on said .sup-

bers adapted to receive and support a coil between th'em, adjustable means on said members for engaging and centering such coil, and an elevator below and between the members for raising a coil into position to be engaged and supported by said members.

5. In a feed reel adapted to receive and support a coil while the same is unwound,.

means for engaging and supporting a coil, an elevator for raising a coil relative to and into position to be-engaged by the supporting means, and a way up which the coil to be supported may be rolled onto the elevator.

6. In a feed reel adapted to receive and support a coil while the same is unwound, the combination of opposite rotatable members adapted to support a coil, adjustable means on said members for engaging said coil and centering it thereon, and an elevator below and between said members adapted to lift a coil into position to be engaged by said members, with an inclined way up which said coil may be rolled onto said elevator.

7. In a feed reel adapted to receive and support a coil while the same is unwound, the combination of relatively adjustable rotatable members, adjustable means on said members for centering and supporting a vcoil thereon, vertically adjustable supports for said members, and a coil elevator below the members and between the supports.

8. A feed reel adapted to receive and support a coil while the same is unwound, comprising independent relatively adjustable ro tatable members, adjustable supports for said members, adjustable devices on said members for supporting and centering a coil thereon, a coil elevator between said adjustable supports adapted to receive a coil and elevate it between said members, and means by which a coil may be directed onto said elevator.

9. A feed reel adapted to receive and support a coil while the same is unwound, comprising opposite relatively adjustable rotatable members, adjustable supports for said members, radially adjustable devices on said members for supporting and centering a coil therebetween, a coil elevator below and between said members adapted to receive a coil and elevate it into position to be engaged by said devices; and an inclined way up which a coil may be rolled onto said elevator.

10. In a feed reel adapted to receive and support a coil while the sameis unwound, the combination of opposite adjustable supports, rotatable coil engaging members mounted on said supports, and means for relatively adjustingthe members toward or from each other on said supports to engage and support a coil between them.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aiiX my signature.

HOWARD B. SHERMAN. 

